Truss



A. R. BELL Feb. 15, 1938.

TRUSS Filed March 27, 1955 1N VENTOR. flrlfizzr 4351i ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 15, 1938 PATENT. OFFICE V TRUS S 7 Arthur E. Bell,Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Wm.

H. Horn"&'-Brother, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania lnppl icationltlarch 27, 1935, Serial No. 13,2.08

8 Claims.

My invention is an improved surgical apparatus, commonly known as atruss, and consisting of a flexible metal spring or elastic belt adaptedfor encircling the body and pressing a pad firmly against the body toprovide support or hinder protrusion, particularly in the treatment ofher- The varying conditions arising in the treatment of hernianecessitate the attachmentof pads of different sizes and shapes to beltsor truss frames of different types and in different positions thereon.It is a leading object of my invention to provide a truss having meansforquickly effecting pad substitutions or changes of position of the padon a truss frame which may be of either the slotted or'unslotted typeand to which the pad is securely but detachably secured by a fastener orhaspkeyed against turning relatively to the truss frame. g 7

By my improvements, a dealer having a stock of comparatively few trussframe units and comparatively few pad units and fasteners is enabled toquickly. assemble therefrom a truss suitable for use under any one ormore of a wide variety of conditions. The units, when assembled,aresecurely maintained in desired relation to one another by the quickdetachable fasteners consisting of hasps containing apertures; one ormore of which is an open slot extendingtothe edge of the hasp. The padsare'provided with studs sufficiently spaced from one another for thepassage of an unslotted truss frame sectionbetween them, and the studsare of such cross-section as to readily pass through the slot of aslotted belt section; The studs have shanks of such crosssection as topassreadilythrough the apertures or slots'of the hasps, which aremovable normal to the axis of the studs into engaging or disengagingpo-sition. I

The characteristic features and. advantages of my improvements willfurther appear from the following description and the accompanyingdrawing in illustration thereof.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a slotted spring trusshaving a pad connected therewith in accordance with'my improvements;Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an imp'erforate spring truss havingconnected therewith the same pad as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is anenlarged elevation of the pad and. attachment and a-fragment of themetal spring of Fig. 1; Fig.- 4 is a transverse sectional view taken onthe 1ine4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an enlargedelevation of the pad andattachment and afragment of the metal spring of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is anelevation of a difi'erent type of pad and modified attachment applied tothe spring of Fig. 2, of which a fragment only is shown; and Figs. 7, 8,9 and 10 are perspective views of 'modified forms of hasps used infastening any type of pad to either type of belt in accordance with myinvention.

As illustrated in the drawing, the body-encircling truss frame consistsof an elastic belt comally by the stuffed pad 6, shown in Figs. 1 to 5,

inclusive, and. bythehard rubber pad 7, shown in Fig. 6'.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the stufied pad 6 consists ofa bag containing a soft packing 6a and a sheet metal plate 8 containingan annular aperture 9 in which the dished or counter-sunk disk I0 isrotatable. A pair of threaded studs ll pass through apertures in anexternal disk I2 and are screwed into threaded sockets in the disk in."washerto cover the opening 9 and a comple- The disk 12 acts as amentary opening in the bag. The disks in and I2. and the studs H arerotatable so as to position thestuds at any desired angle relative tothe perimeter of the pad.

As illustrated in Fig. 6, a pair of threaded studs 'lla', similar tothestuds II, are screwed directly into any pair of a plurality of threadedsockets 'formeddirectly in the pad.

In accordance with my improvements, each stud has a slotted head and amaximum diameter less than the width of the slots 4. The studs of eachpair are sufficiently spaced apart to permitpassage of a spring section5 between them. 7

A pad is secured to a truss frame or spring by 'means of a haspcontaining apertures for the passage of the studs, and. one or more ofsuch apertures consists of an open-ended slot extending to the edge ofthe hasp and permitting movement of the hasp normal to a stud until thestud is seated at the closed end of the slot.

The hasps may be of different types, as illustr'ated inFigs. 7-. 8,9 and10.

As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and '7, the

hasp 13 contains the apertures consisting of parallel slots eachextending to the edge of the hasp and having an open end at the sameside of the hasp. One face of the hasp is provided with keys or feathersI adapted to fit into a slot 1 and engage the edges thereof to preventturning of the hasp. A key-way or channel I6 is formed in the face ofthe hasp between the keys I5 for the reception of a spring section 5 sothat the edges of the spring section engage the keys I5 and the sidewalls of the channel I6.

To attach a pad to a truss frame having a slotted spring, as illustratedin Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the studs II or IIa on a pad are partiallyunscrewed and inserted through a slot 4 so that the heads of the screwsproject from the face of the spring section 3 a distance suflicient topermit the slots I4 to be slipped over the shanks of the studs bymovement of the hasp normal to the axis of the studs. The keys I5 thenslip into the slot 4, and the studs are then tightened up so as to drawthe hasp and the pad tightly against the truss frame.

When such pad is to be secured to an unslotted spring section 5, bymeans of the same hasp, the studs are partially unscrewed and the springsection 5 placed between them so that, as illustrated in Fig. 2, theslots I4 may be slipped over the shanks of the studs by movement of thehasp normal to the axis of the studs. Upon screwing the studs furtherinto the pad, the hasp and pad are tightly clipped on the spring section5 and prevented from turning ,angularly relatively thereto by theengagement of the edges of the spring section with the walls of thechannel I6 and keys I5.

Instead of having both slots in the hasp open at the same side thereof,the parallel slots may have open mouths at opposite sides of the hasp,as shown in Fig. 8, in which the hasp I3a is provided with slots Maextending to the edge of the hasp on opposite sides thereof. Keys I50.and a channel I60. are provided for preventing relative turning of theassembled and tightened parts when the hasp I3a is substituted in any ofthe figures for the hasp I3. In applying the hasp I3a, it is first movednormal to the axis of one stud until such stud is entered in a slot Ma,and the other end of the hasp I3a is then moved normal to the axis ofthe other stud until the latter is seated in the second slot. The studsare then tightened up to secure the parts together as above described.

As illustrated in Fig. 9, the stud-receiving slots may be normal to oneanother. As shown in this figure, the hasp I31) is provided with thelongitudinal slot Mb having its mouth opening at an end of the hasp andwith a transverse slot Mb having its mouth opening at a side of thehasp. In applying this hasp, it is first moved normal to a stud to slipsuch stud in the slot I41) and is then moved on such stud as an axis toslip the other stud in the slot Mb. The keys I51) and channel Ifibprevent relative turning of the parts when the studs are tightened up.

Where only imperforated springs are used, the hasp need have only oneopen slot, as shown in Figs. 6 and 10. In such case a hasp I30 may beprovided with an aperture I40 through which a stud I la is passed topermanently attach the hasp to a pad. The hasp is rotatable on such studwhen the latter is partially unscrewed so that a spring section 5 may beinserted between the stud passing through the aperture I40 and anotherstud I la set in the pad. When the spring section 5 has been insertedbetween the studs, the hasp is moved in a plane normal to the axis ofthe studs so as to slip the second stud into the slot I30 which has anopen mouth at one side of the stud.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A surgical apparatus consisting of a truss frame adapted forencircling the body and pressing a pad firmly against the body, a padhaving a rotatable plate, studs set in said plate and a hasp containingapertures for the passage of said studs, said hasp having a key forengaging an edge of said frame and preventing relative movement of saidhasp and frame, said hasp engaging said stud and frame, and at least oneof said apertures consisting of an open slot extending to the edge ofthe hasp and permitting movement of the hasp relative to one of thestuds normal to the axis of said stud.

2. A surgical apparatus consisting of a truss frame adapted forencircling the body and pressing a pad firmly against the body, saidtruss frame containing a slot, a pad having studs connected therewithand movable through said slot, and a hasp containing apertures for thepassage of said studs, said hasp having thereon a key between saidapertures and entering said slot and engaging the edges thereof, saidhasp engaging said studs and a face of said truss frame and securingsaid key in said slot.

3. A surgical apparatus consisting of a truss frame containing recessesand adapted for encircling the body and pressing a pad firmly againstthe body, a pad, having studs connected therewith, and a hasp containingapertures for the passage of said studs, said hasp having pro- J'ectionsin alignment with the studs adapted to enter said recesses and having achannel intermediate said projections and lying at right angles to theline between the studs and adapted to receive said truss frame, saidstuds engaging said hasp to draw said hasp and frame together innon-rotative relationship, and at least one of said apertures consistingof an open slot extending to the edge of the hasp and permittingmovement of the hasp relative to the studs normal to the axes of suchstuds.

4. A surgical apparatus consisting of a pad having studs connectedtherewith, a truss frame having one face thereof engaging said pad, saidframe being adapted for encircling the body and pressing a pad firmlyagainst the body, and a hasp engaging a face of said frame opposite theface engaged by said pad and containing apertures for the passage ofsaid studs, each of said apertures consisting of an open slot extendingto an edge of the hasp and permitting movement of the hasp relative tothe studs and normal to the axes of the studs.

5. A surgical apparatus consisting of a truss frame adapted forencircling the body and firmly pressing a pad against said body, saidframe containing a slot, a pad engaging one face of said frame andhaving studs connected therewith and movable through said slot, and ahasp engaging the face of said frame opposite said pad and con-v tainingapertures for the passage of said studs, said hasp engaging said studs,said apertures consisting of open slots extending to the edge of thehasp and permitting movement of the hasp relative to the studs normal tothe axes of said studs.

6. A surgical apparatus consisting of a truss frame adapted forencircling the body and pressing a. pad firmly against the body, a padhaving studs connected therewith, and a hasp contain-- ing apertures forthe passage of said studs, said hasp engaging said studs and frame andsaid apertures consisting of open slots extending to opposite edges ofthe hasp and permitting movement of the hasp relative to the studsnormal to the axes of such studs.

7. A surgical apparatus'consisting of a truss frame adapted forencircling the body and pressing a pad firmly against the body, a padhaving studs connected. therewith, and a hasp containing apertures forthe passage of said studs, said hasp engaging said studs and frame andsaid apertures consisting of open slots normal to one "another andextending to the edges of the hasp and permitting movement of thehasprelative to the studs normal to the axes of such studs.

8. A surgical apparatus consisting of a pad having studs connectedtherewith, a truss frame having a. part of rectangular cross-sectionwith one face thereof engaging said pad, said frame being adapted forencircling the body and pressing the pad firmly against the body, and ahasp engaging the opposite face of said rectangular part of said framefrom said pad and containing apertures for the passage of said studs,said hasp having a key engaging an edge of said rectangular part of saidframe and preventing relative movement of said hasp and frame, one ofsaid apertures consisting of an open slot extending to an edge of thehasp and permitting movement of the hasp relative to one of the studsnormal to the axis of such stud.

ARTHUR R. BELL.

